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Polar v800
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So far from all the releases from Polar I am struggling to see any USP? Why would I want a watch that does nothing over and above its competitors? But does less in terms of running metrics and has less hardware compatibility?

Is there a USP? Or is it a last ditch effort from a dying brand?
Last edited by: ddave: Feb 24, 14 6:56
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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I don't know which of these (if any) are unique to the V800, but that's what stood out to me at least:
  • heart rate while swimming (as opposed to: everybody else)
  • everyday watch form-factor (aot: 910XT)
  • Bluetooth Smart (For Polar that's what I was waiting for (ditching WIND), also: smartphone-connectivity,...)
  • 24/7 activity tracking (first tri-watch to include this i guess)

just my $0.02

if you can read this
YOU'RE DRAFTING!
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Re: Polar v800 [flogazo] [ In reply to ]
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flogazo wrote:
I don't know which of these (if any) are unique to the V800, but that's what stood out to me at least:
  • heart rate while swimming (as opposed to: everybody else)
  • everyday watch form-factor (aot: 910XT)
  • Bluetooth Smart (For Polar that's what I was waiting for (ditching WIND), also: smartphone-connectivity,...)
  • 24/7 activity tracking (first tri-watch to include this i guess)

just my $0.02

So you can wear it as a watch and if you can get your strap to stay up it can work on the swim and it can count your steps during the day.

Other than that Garmin has it covered.
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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Hm... I gotta say it sounds like you really want to like the Garmin more. That's OK though. I'm not a Polar fanboy trying desperately to convince others.
Have you seen the Fenix 2? If anything that could be the watch stopping me from getting a V800...
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Re: Polar v800 [flogazo] [ In reply to ]
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flogazo wrote:
Hm... I gotta say it sounds like you really want to like the Garmin more. That's OK though. I'm not a Polar fanboy trying desperately to convince others.
Have you seen the Fenix 2? If anything that could be the watch stopping me from getting a V800...

No I am an ex Polar fan boy but got burned by the last few horrific watches and am now trying to figure out if its a return to the s-series era or more of the same recent cr@p with no USP and crippled firmware.

The Fenix 2 does look nice but do want something not Garmin.
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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Ok I am a Polar fanboy and all you have to do to keep ur HR belt up while swimming is wear triathlon singlet. At least that works for me :0)
As far as what puts this up above any other watch is its ability to download different apps as they get better. A dieing breed I think not......but is a stable company that has been around since inception of HR monitoring and is as reliable as old faithful. Not to mention the best customer service you can get. Ya I am a Polar fanboy and would be even if I was not one of their ambassador's.

__________________________________________________
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Re: Polar v800 [Bmanners] [ In reply to ]
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Bmanners wrote:
Ok I am a Polar fanboy and all you have to do to keep ur HR belt up while swimming is wear triathlon singlet. At least that works for me :0)
As far as what puts this up above any other watch is its ability to download different apps as they get better. A dieing breed I think not......but is a stable company that has been around since inception of HR monitoring and is as reliable as old faithful. Not to mention the best customer service you can get. Ya I am a Polar fanboy and would be even if I was not one of their ambassador's.

So its just the apps that the difference. Emmmmmmm - sensing another RIM here.
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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Please, feel free to keep your Garmin as you obviously want too. I know you invested heavily in ANT technology so it scares you to think that you may now be behind the curve.

I for one am interested because my three previous Garmin watches were crap and all broke during regular use. My 15 year old polar watch still works.
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Re: Polar v800 [HomerJSimpson] [ In reply to ]
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HomerJSimpson wrote:
Please, feel free to keep your Garmin as you obviously want too. I know you invested heavily in ANT technology so it scares you to think that you may now be behind the curve.

I for one am interested because my three previous Garmin watches were crap and all broke during regular use. My 15 year old polar watch still works.

My S210 and S625x still work too.

However if the USP of the v800 is it will still work in 10-15 years then thats not great is it?

I've gone through 15 Garmins in 3 years. I obviously want an alternative. As for investing in ANT technology the likes of 4iiii’s Viiiiva ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart Bridge mean that the broadcasting technology doesn't stop you from changing.

I bought an RCX5 with the hope of ditching Garmin but it was crippled by design and I returned it in 3 days.

So back to the v800 - does it have any *features* that distinguish it. There is nothing on the Polar site that indicates its any different from the rest of the marketplace - if not behind it.
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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First multi-sport watch that is also a full-day activity tracker. Day 1 purchase for me. 910XT meet the Fitbit kinda thing.
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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ddave wrote:
But does less in terms of running metrics and has less hardware compatibility?

I fought hard to resist!! :D

How do you know it does less re running metrics? I think this area is wide open for exploration and development. TBH how many people understand the metrics that are available from the FR620? Of the people that understand the metrics, how many know how to interpret and utilise them for benefit in their training?

I take your point re hardware compatibility with regard legacy ANT & ANT+ compatability but the same argument also applies with regard backward comaptability with WIND sensors.

Somehow I would doubt that any company would exclude their own legacy products unless there is something we as yet don't know regarding the potential for BTLE.

_______________

#GottaRun
http://twitter.com/runningmatters_
http://www.feileacanmor.com
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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If it has the same features as a Garmin but by your own admission is not a piece of junk why wouldn't you give it a shot.

I'm not sure how many more data metrics for running you can come up with but at some point it is almost like data overload for me.
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Re: Polar v800 [GatorDeb] [ In reply to ]
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GatorDeb wrote:
First multi-sport watch that is also a full-day activity tracker. Day 1 purchase for me. 910XT meet the Fitbit kinda thing.

THIS.

This is a HUGE reason for me to buy day one too. Also BT Smart means it will work with my Stages PM and the BT HR strap I already own. As others have said connectivity to phone apps will come in handy from time to time to get data online when not near a PC.

I have nothing against Garmin but my wifes Garmin 610 that she has owned for less than a year can barely go a week without restiing during a run or some other issue. I like the direction Polar is going and as soon as they offer direct to Strava uploads it will be perfect :)

"Base training is bull shit" - desertdude
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Re: Polar v800 [HomerJSimpson] [ In reply to ]
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HomerJSimpson wrote:
If it has the same features as a Garmin but by your own admission is not a piece of junk why wouldn't you give it a shot.

This is the point of this thread - is there anything on the polar v800 that warrants "giving it a shot".

So far the 24/7 tracking is the only thing that distinguishes it.
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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ddave wrote:


So back to the v800 - does it have any *features* that distinguish it. There is nothing on the Polar site that indicates its any different from the rest of the marketplace - if not behind it.

Seems to me several people have given you the features that distinguish it from other products. Whether or not those features a re compelling to you is a question only you can answer.

Sounds to me like you are determined to not like any option....Garmins suck, Polar is a dying brand, etc. if you want a product that is truly differentiated, go get a Motorola MotoACTV.....GPS, ANT+, MP3 player, touchscreen, etc. but good luck getting any support if you have a problem with it.

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"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams
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Re: Polar v800 [ddave] [ In reply to ]
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Seems like enough, let's ask this what are YOU looking for in a watch that doesn't exist?

"Base training is bull shit" - desertdude
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Re: Polar v800 [thirstygreek] [ In reply to ]
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I've been lurking a bit but felt I had to jump in.. Some good discussion here, and good questions. Some of which tell me that (I/we) have to do a better job at clearly defining the uniqueness in the V800.

I'll highlight some points, but I'd really hate for me to come across as just a Polar guy, defending a product with marketing speak and all that BS. That's why I didn't post at the start, but the thread seems to be missing some big chunks of what is special.

First I just want to start out by mentioning that we're at a stage of innovation in the triathlon market where most of the hardware for a wrist mounted device is established. So what I'm saying is wrist unit, GPS chip, sensor technology, accelerometer..etc.. *Most* of the data that's important to us as triathletes generally can be measured. What's really missing so far is a device that not only "does it all", but a device that helps holistically piece together everything and present information in a way that helps you improve as an athlete. With over 35 years on the physiology side that's where we felt we could really innovate.

So I guess with that said, I'll just highlight a few examples of our thought process, and why we feel the V800 really is something to consider.
  • The design: this is something that you don't normally consider that much, because generally in the past a triathlon device is just a *tool* you wear while training and racing. We wanted to rethink how this was considered. Instead of it being a tool just for training and racing, we had to build something you can wear all day - every day and night. Not because you can and it looks sweet(it does), but for the holistic look at a training program - and how feedback like activity, sleep & training load can impact your performance. Which brings me to my next point.
  • 24/7 activity and sleep tracking. Another poster mentioned the triathlon watch/activity tracker combined. It is an it isn't. Generally the consumer who buys an activity tracker has a different goal in mind. They may want to be motivated to "move more", whereas us (triathletes, slowtwitchers) probably are moving too much. We look at this more at having a holistic approach to training programs. We all know that training is not the only thing that impacts your improvement. Recovery is an important piece of that puzzle. How much you move during the day impacts our total load on our bodies, and how much we sleep impacts our ability to focus and perform during training.
  • So we can take all of what you do while you're not training, and add value to the information. Now from a training perspective, every workout completed we quantify the load on your body - we call this Training Load. It's a stress score, that predicts the amount of time it will take to properly recover from that session. The TL is cumulative, meaning it takes into consideration all of the prior workouts as well. Now we have a look at the total load on your body, from training, sleep, activity..etc.. You can use this information to 1) recover smarter 2) properly plan hard workouts or recovery workouts 3) taper for races (how many of us spend hours on our feet at race expos?)
  • Bluetooth Smart & Smartphone integration. We've been touting this for a few years now.. But we co-chair the Sports and Fitness working group at Bluetooth Sig. Bluetooth Smart is something we're investing heavily into supporting for a more open ecosystem of sensors and devices. Devices like speed, cadence, power..etc.. We're looking to fully support the growth of Bluetooth Sensors in all of our devices moving forward. Also having the ability to sync the V800 instantly on your phone, update apps, view your training plan/activity/sessions immediately. I'd put money on Bluetooth Smart providing more options for sensors in the future.
  • Athlete Tests & Metrics. Just some of what we've been doing on the Smart Coaching side for years that were ahead of their time.. Running Index: which calculates efficiency and predicts race times for running events, Fitness Test which estimates V02 max(and progress), we also have an Orthostatic Test built into the watch, which is a readiness test you can take every morning based on HRV, Jump Test - which allows you to quantify the power output of your legs.. And more.

So I guess just the biggest point I'm trying to make is the best technology advancements you're going to see for a few years is more on the data interpretation side. Using every data point that makes sense for your goal to collectively improve your performance. One device that collects all of this, but adds science in an easy digestible way.


That and the V800 is bullet proof, we have 2x the warranty (2 years), it's future proof - free and paid upgrades in the future and the best customer service in the biz ;0) just sayin'


Chris
Last edited by: Chris@Polar: Feb 25, 14 10:43
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Re: Polar v800 [Chris@Polar] [ In reply to ]
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Chris,

Great stuff! Very excited for V800. Now just let me know if you need any vocal Ambassadors :)

"Base training is bull shit" - desertdude
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Re: Polar v800 [Chris@Polar] [ In reply to ]
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Hi Chris

What about open water swim? I am ready to buy this watch, but not having the open water swim function is an issue. Most triathlons are outside, so that is a pretty important function for a triathlon watch (and available in other tri-watches).

-Mike
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Re: Polar v800 [Tri-Mike-NJ] [ In reply to ]
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For sure. Has open water swim functionality at the sales start - with a profile that includes speed/pace/distance via GPS. And of course measures heart rate in the water..

On the swimming metric side, what will not be activated at the sales start (but will be hopefully not far behind) is indoor swimming metrics via the internal accelerometer. So pace, autolaps, stroke rate..etc.. We haven't fully optimized the algorithm for that, and we have no intention on beta testing this on our consumers. We have been testing the firmware internally with good results though..
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Re: Polar v800 [Chris@Polar] [ In reply to ]
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Any way to use it with an ANT+ power meter - even with some sort of 3rd party adapter (someone hinted at it above)?

Battery life on full recording (18ish hours @ 1sec data points)?
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Re: Polar v800 [Khyron] [ In reply to ]
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bump to this as it is only hold up since I have a quarq. If not, looks like Fenix2
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Re: Polar v800 [Chris@Polar] [ In reply to ]
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Hi Chris,

Any chance you can comment on this thread regarding V800 and activity tracking over at the Polar forums?

http://forum.polar.fi/showthread.php?t=28301

thanks!
Last edited by: dfeist: Mar 5, 14 1:41
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Re: Polar v800 [Khyron] [ In reply to ]
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Khyron wrote:
Any way to use it with an ANT+ power meter - even with some sort of 3rd party adapter (someone hinted at it above)?

Battery life on full recording (18ish hours @ 1sec data points)?

I plan on getting this once the 4iii optical HR monitor wrist pod is released because it has a Ant+/Bluetooth Smart bridge which should allow use Ant+ accessories. I think DC rainmaker mentioned he is going to test it as well
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